The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-02-18
THE TEXAS OTTRlGE.
WITNESSES Elk By THE
COMMITTEE.
Several Gentlemen OF Color Testify
SpO0ner aud Eustis Have
COllOquy.

He was clerk Of election at Graball
precinct last November 2S7 votes we're
cast, OF which number about 2sO were
Republican, mostly colored. There
was q good deal OF noise and "rowdy-
ing" from the time the polls closed, at
@ O'Clock, and q good deal OF shooting;
but the election officers were not dis
tuIbsd. Witness did not hear any
threats toward colored men, but a
good many cOlored men were alarmed
and "runned off," The whites we're
in q row among themselves. One
white man was Knocked in the head
by q weight and was wounded. Wit.
ness described the progress OF the
count, the receipt OF a note from an
outsider, which note the two Demo-
cratic election officers considered Sc
cretly; and the entrance Don after Of
three armed and disguised men, who
presented pistols to the faces Of the
officers, commanding them to "bold
up" and sjeEed the ballot
box. Oonnell and Butcher, the
white election officers, laughed
o. the affair. Witness never saw the
box a'terward, but was told by a
celored man that he had seen the box
lying in the sand broken in pieces and
the tickets scattered about in the sand.
During the progre Is OF the count peo-
pie ent cred several times to ask how
It was going, particularly with regard
to the candidate for County Judge.
The Peoples tickets were conside ably
scratched, and ut the suggestion OF one
OF the Democratic judges the scratched
tickets were separated and counted
first, the Republican tickets being laid
aside. At the time OF the raid Gil the
tickets but ninety.six had been
counted, and those were straight Re-
publican without any scratch. OF
those counted Mr.. Scheutz, Republic
car candidate for County Judge, had
fifteen majority over Judge Kirk. Boil
ton, Democrat, candidate for County
Commissioner, about whom inquiries
were made by outsiders during the
evening, was also running behind.
g. A. Mayo, colored, was sworn.
Previous TO beginning his examination
a coiloquy took place between Sena-
tors Spooner and Eustie, with regard
to the propriety Of entering upon an
inquiry with regard to the throwing
out OF the diamond shaped" Repub.
lican tickets. Senator Spooner offered
to submit the question to the commit
tee for decision, but Senator Eustis,
while maintaining that the question
was a merely legal mi and in no wise
related to the Outrage" which the
committee was directed TO investigate,
waived his objections. Witness was
an inspector Of election at Independ-
ence precinct. Three hundred and
twenty-nine votes were cast. The
Republican tickets were diamond
shaped. The Democratic presiding
judge, Mr.. Seward, alter having per-
mitted the count TO proceed for O
tlme-ten of the diamond tickets hay
ing been counted LEANED back in his
chair and said, according to witness:
81 reject to dem der tickets being q
counted any mo. Dsy amt nc legal
tickets"
There were 1877 Of the rejected dia-
mond shaped straight Republican
tickets. A decision OF the Supreme
Court OF Texas Was produced, rem
dered a year before the election in
question, TO the effect that the dia.
mond shaped tickets are legal. W. r.
Williams, whits, testified to the
throwing ont OF the diamond shaped
tickets. He had been a candidate on
the Peoples ticket, but withdrew in
favor OF a negro-R, j. Moore, VINO
claimed TO be a Republican. The
other negroes, however, called him a
"Mugwump." There was no intimi-
dalton. Witness had never seen a
fairer election. A. g.. Scott, colored,
testified that on the morning OF cleo
ton the polls at Chadwic ginhouse
were not open, though between sixty
five and seventy oolored men were
waiting TO vote. The colored men de-
clined t, act as presiding judge, be-
cause they feared a repetition Of the
affair at Chapel Hill two years
before, when two negroes were sho,.
w. 3. Baxter, white, was the next
witness. He was on duty az police.
man in Brenham when three colored
men were taken out OF jail and hanged.
de described the lynching at length.
q. W. Brown, oolored, was sworn.
He was the Republican candidate for
County Commissioner and was elected,
his opponent being d. ID. Bolton,
whose son Devices was killed. After
the election witness was informed bv
friends that he was in danger and had
better not stay around him. Witntes
was alarmed, and he described tHs
precautions he took TO keep out Of
trouble. After he was sworn into II
fee he received a note "authorizing"
him to leave the county and not serve
as Commissioner. He has not been
disturbed In the performance OF his
duty.
+. Newman, white, was sW He
is a Democrat. He described the In.
dignation meeting OF white citizens OF
BRENNAN two or three days after the
election.
Judge Kirk offered a resolution de-
claring that rs Hacksworth, Schuelze,
Moore, Glader, Lockett and Potter had
been making incendiary speeches, they
must be more quiet, or a committee
would instruct them to leave the
county.
Miles T1lder said that the previous
administration of Judge Kirk had been
a great success, and IL was a cause OF
rejoicing among the good people that
he was elected.
On cross examination by Senator
Pugh the witness said that Judge Kirk
stated in substance, that the men ne
named had been going among the col
ored people 80 there was danger they
would bs melted to violence by inoen-
diary speeches. Witness, in answer to
Senator Eyarts, said he did not know
OF any outbreak or threatened out.
break on the part of colored people, or
Of any speeches other than the public
ones already testified to.
Adjourned until tomorrow.
A POOR OLD MAN